This invention relates in general to safety devices and in particular to a device which is responsive to excessive wave motion of water in swimming pools and the like for generating an alarm.
Many homeowners enjoy the convenience of a swimming pool or similar body of water on their property. Although swimming pools provide obvious recreational benefits when used properly, they also represent a source of potential danger, especially to children who use the pool without permission and without adult supervision. To prevent accidental entry and to minimize unauthorized use, pools are commonly enclosed by a fence or similar barrier. Unfortunately, older children are often capable of climbing such fences or otherwise gaining access to the pool. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a device which can detect when the pool is in use and generate an alarm in response thereto.
Many safety devices are known which are responsive to wave motion for generating an alarm indicating that a pool or similar body of water is being used. Such devices operate on the theory that excessive waves are created in the pool by movement of a person in the water. When such waves are sensed, an alarm is generated. Unfortunately, many of these devices are complicated, expensive, or difficult to use. Thus, pool owners frequently do not obtain these safety devices for use with their pools. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an improved wave responsive alarm which is simple and inexpensive in construction and operation.
Furthermore, some of the known wave responsive devices are not easily adjustable for use under differing weather conditions. For example, it is known that some waves are naturally created when the wind blows, even when no person is in the pool. On very windy days, these waves are larger than on calm days. Known wave responsive devices are not readily adjustable to compensate for the larger waves naturally encountered on windy days. As a result, such devices generate false alarms or, because of the likelihood of such false alarms, are not used at all. Accordingly, it would also be desirable to provide a wave responsive safety device which is easily adjustable for use under different weather conditions.